Case shows the darker side of black boxes

|
9/14/2004

If you’re
worried about how black boxes in trucks could affect your privacy, here’s
something to ponder: A man has been charged with violating California’s
stalking laws after he allegedly used a Global Positioning System device to
track and stalk his ex-girlfriend.

The
incident was described in a report from the Glendale, CA, Police Department.
According to police records, the suspect in the case attached a cell phone with
a GPS chip in it to the bottom of his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle, which allowed
him to track the car.

The device was placed on the
vehicle in August, police said; officers have found documents that outline the
victim’s movements from that time.

The girlfriend, who was not
identified by police, had already been receiving up to 100 phone calls a day
from the suspect. However, when she started running into her ex-boyfriend in
person at different places, she became suspicious. She called police when she
caught him under her car changing the cell phone battery.

Glendale Police arrested Ara
Gabrielyan, 32, in connection with the case. He has been arraigned and charged
with felony stalking, and is currently being held in the Twin Towers
Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on $500,000 bond. His next court
appearance is scheduled for Oct. 12 in Burbank Municipal Court.

Some
proposals for placing black boxes in trucks have included the use of GPS
devices for tracking loads, especially hazardous materials – an idea that has
generated considerable opposition in the industry.

Sgt. Tom Lorenz – a spokesperson
for the Glendale Police Department, which made the arrest in the case – said he
was aware of the concerns some truckers have about the increased availability,
and possible uses, of GPS devices.

“If they were to go pick up a load
somewhere, and someone wanted to drop one of these tracking devices in one of
the containers, or in one of the boxes or crates or whatever they’re picking
up, that person who has you delivering that item is tracking you across the
United States,” Lorenz said.

Lorenz said the device involved in
the case links with an Internet mapping site, Mapquest.com.

“It puts your location on a map
there so it’s very easy to read,” he said.